Iran is increasing its attempts to target military sites in Britain, while Russia is stepping up its hybrid warfare against Ukraine’s allies, according to MI5 Director General Ken McCallum. In his speech detailing threats to Britain, McCallum expressed concerns about the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) by terrorists to develop bioweapons or create new pathogens. He noted that state threats have increased significantly over the past decade, leading MI5 to allocate more resources to these threats than during the Cold War.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham suggested that Iran was likely involved in a suspected plot against RAF Fairford, which is used by US bombers, prompting a security alert. Iran denied any involvement in this incident and has consistently been accused of plotting against dissidents and Israeli targets in Britain. Although Russia also denies involvement in hostile actions, McCallum labeled it as the “aggressor number one.”
McCallum reported that over the past year, more than 50 arrests have been linked to Iran. While he refrained from discussing the ongoing investigation related to the Fairford incident, he indicated a notable shift in Iran’s ambitions to target harder military sites. He stated that while Iran has some limitations in launching complex attacks in the UK, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has experience in more sophisticated tactics closer to its homeland.
Regarding Russia, McCallum emphasized the country’s use of tactics below conventional conflict, such as drone and cyber attacks. He warned that AI is significantly impacting cybersecurity and could play a role in advancing bioweapons efforts, which is an area of great concern for him and his colleagues. He stated, “These risks are real.”
With information from Reuters
